Saturday, November 07, 2009

Snow Patrol has sadly become one of those bands I can no longer get behind. After scoring their biggest hit 'Chasing Cars', they just seemed to get creatively bankrupt, as the subsequent singles just sounded stale and unmemorable to these ears. I know their music's not all that upbeat to begin with, but even the assistance of synthesizers on their latest greatest-hit single 'Just Say Yes' couldn't make them sound any less dull. I believe Gary & co truly peaked with 'Run'.However, their recent visit to Radio 1 spawned a very listenable cover of Madonna's 'Ray Of Light'. They did a great job on Beyoncé's 'Crazy In Love' years ago, so this is another pleasant surprise. I think I'd like a studio version of this. Maybe they should pull a Leona Lewis (She first covered 'Run' on Live Lounge, then released a proper studio version as a single and earned an easy UK number one). Speaking of Leona, did you know she just covered Oasis' 'Stop Crying Your Heart Out' on her new album, with choirs and all? It's also pretty good. But I digress... here is the reason for all this nonsense rambling:Snow Patrol - Ray Of Light (Madonna Cover)

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

So, daylight saving, huh? It starts to get dark at just about 5 in the afternoon here now. The last winter of the noughties is coming. Oh well, more reasons to stay in and listen to sad music. As promised, here is another batch of rare covers. I believe these are definitely the best picks in recent memory.Joan As Police Woman - Overprotected (Britney Spears)(Cover, 2009)

Such a peculiar pick. I mean when you decide to cover a Britney song, 'Overprotected' wouldn't be the first you think of. Still, I think Joan did a great job with this. From a tour-only cd.

I searched for this on Hype Machine, and was baffled that no one had picked up on this excellent cover before. Perhaps this is due to the fact it was a limited 7" b-side? Anyway, if you just download one from the post, make it this one. It's a faithful cover while also bringing something fresh to the original. The moment in the second verse when the handclaps start is absolutely amazing.

The latest volume of the BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge series came out in the UK last week. As usual, there are hits and misses, with many of the better covers left out in favor of more established names. The idea of Live Lounge covers don't excite me that much anymore, to be honest, most artists just picked a current top hit and performed it acoustically while sounding bored and joyless. It has somewhat become obligatory buzz-generating promo chore. Fortunately, some still try to have fun and bring something new to their renditions. Here are my recent favorites.

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Please keep in mind that all the mp3s posted here are for evaluation purposes only, and will be deleted after a period of time. If you love what you hear, purchase their cds, merchandise, or tickets. Do what you can to support the artists.

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